In the 1860s,James Clerk Maxwell carried out important investigations on the nature of light when he:
A) demonstrated the wave nature of light by passing light through two slits and obtaining a pattern of bright and dark bands on a screen that he correctly interpreted as interference between the two light beams.
B) demonstrated that white light was made up of colors that could be split by a prism and that these colors were not produced by the glass through which the light passed.
C) proved mathematically that light could be described as oscillating electric and magnetic fields.
D) showed that a prism through which light passed added a spectrum of colors to the light.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

James Clerk Maxwell proved mathematically that light could be described as oscillating electric and magnetic fields, which is now known as electromagnetic theory of light. This theory laid the foundation for modern physics and revolutionized the understanding of light. Although Maxwell did carry out experiments related to light, options A and B are incorrect because they were discoveries made by Thomas Young and Isaac Newton, respectively. Option D is also incorrect because a prism does not add colors to light; it separates them.

In the 1860s,James Clerk Maxwell Carried Out Important Investigations on the Nature